SALE OF MILK.

Franklin Times, Volume 14, Issue 911, 13 August 1924, Page 4

SALE OF MILK.

DEFICIENT IN FAT. extraordinary case. A somewhat extraordinary case was unravelled ul Ihe Pukekohe Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., and the fact was revealed that milk obtained direct from the cow is not always pure milk, according lo the requirements of ..the Sale of Food and Drugs Act. v 'h Tejfer McFarland, of Tuakau, was charged with selling milk that did not comply with the requirements of the Act. the same milk being deficient iif fats. 1 Defendant pleaded not guilty. The analyst’s certilicate showed that the sample contained less than 3$ parts per centum of milk fat. It was equivalent to milk containing the lowest permitted amount of milk-fat. 18.2 per centum, of which has been removed by skimming. Prior to this analysis no change had taken place in the constitution of the milk, which would interfere with the'analysis. The bottle in which the sample was collected -contained 3.10 grain of mercuric chloride added for the purpose of preserving the milk. This does not affect the analysis. The analysis revealed that the milk contained 2.66 per cent, of fat and 9.58 per cent, of solids other Ilian fat.

The Inspector of Health (Mr T. 0. Thompson) said that <>n July 2 he purchased from defendant, a milk yendor, one pint, of milk, and informed him that it was to he a sample to he forwarded to an analyst for analysis. The sample was duly forwarded. Witness asked defendant where he got Ihe milk from, and he told him he had got it from Mr Woolley. In "fact, he was waiting for the milking of the cows to be finished before he could obtain his milk. Defendant said the evidence of Ihi inspector was perfectly correct. He believed the milk,he had.for sale was absolutely pure. The same milk was oblained from Mr Wodlley.

Frederick Woolley, ol' Tuakau. was similarly charged. The analysis showed that the milk contained 2.92 per cent, of fat and 9.12 per cent, oi solids other than l'al. The sample was equivalent to a milk containing the lowest permitted amount o’ milk--lat 10.2 per cent, of which had beer removed by skimming. The balance of the analyst’s certificate was similar with these exceptions.

Defendant, who was represented b;, Mr <l. Arrowsmitli, pleaded guilty U an offence which counsel submitted was technical. Mr Arrowsmitli sab defendant had two cows for the us, uf llu- family, and the surplus mill was often disposed of. His clien was not a milk vendor. The .milk Ihe subject of the charge, was takei direct from the cows on July 9. Tff weather a! that time was bitterly cpl< and it is an established fact, t lir£ : ,fj e<>id weather cows do not test af.'.fjigJ as in warm weal tier. Since ihp-dat in question Mr Woolley had had botl ows tested, and the test. we! above the average test and wml withi: ; il.|e,. requirements of,ihe law. -He ha made inquiries and there-: "were n complaints from customers in Tuakai Sergeant Cowan: The people i Tuakau are not used to cream. (Laugh ter).

In reply lo a question by the Magis i rale, Sergeant Cowan said there \va no suggestion that water hart bee added to the milk, but he referre His Worship lo a seeiton of the Ac whem people who supplied milk to lit public were required lo properly kee and feed Iheir rows. Mr Arrowsmith said there was n suggestion that the cows were J&t

properly kept and fed. The Magistrate said if there w£ any suggestion of added water h would impose a heavy penalty, hi such was not the case. Kadi defendant was convicted an lined '2os. with costs Ids (kl.